Healthy Grocery Shopping on a Budget

Written by Beth Sumrell Ehrensberger, MPH, RD of HealthCastle.com
Published in September 2007

(HealthCastle.com) Is your grocery bill sometimes enough to raise your blood pressure? Some people think that filling the grocery cart with healthy food will blow the budget at the cash register.

But you don't have to sacrifice good nutrition for a reasonable grocery bill. One key to keeping the receipt within reason is to truly commit to a basket of healthy foods. If you're filling your basket with healthy foods AND adding in boxes of trans-fat filled cookies, salt-laden chips and other packaged "extras," you will end up with a hefty bill. But get rid of the junk and you'll have plenty of grocery money to invest in high quality, healthy food and still stay within your budget. With a little practice, healthy grocery shopping on a budget will become second nature!

Healthy Grocery Shopping's Two Biggest Budget Busters

Shopping Meats ¼ is enough: You don't have to unload a good portion of your budget on meats. The USDA's Dietary Guidelines suggest a diet that is built around whole grains, vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy, accented by lean meats. Think of your mealtime plate as a pie chart - about ½ of your plate should be filled with vegetables and fruits, ¼ filled with a whole grain, and about ¼ of your plate should be a protein source like lean meat, so you don't need to buy as much as you might think. For added savings, buy larger portions than you need, divide into individual servings when you get home, and then freeze for later; you will save by purchasing in bulk. Try alternatives: Don't forget that protein isn't just found in meat - try trading lean meats for other protein sources a couple times a week. Beans, tofu, nuts, and eggs all make excellent protein choices that are good for your health and your wallet, too. Shopping Produce Go seasonal: The produce aisle is another common area to suffer grocery store sticker shock. Seasonal fruits and vegetables taste best and are often much less expensive than imported out-of-season varieties, so choose those when possible. Structure meals around produce in season, and you will see a significant savings. Convenience is not inferior: When fresh produce is simply too budget prohibitive, try the frozen version, or canned with no added salt. Research suggests that canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are just as good, and in some cases, even better, than fresh. If you're concerned about sodium, try rinsing canned vegetables before cooking. Plan ahead: Another way to cut costs in the produce department is to design a weekly menu, and match your grocery shopping to the meals on the menu. A well-planned menu brimming with healthy meals will reduce the likelihood for waste, especially on produce and other fresh foods. A bunch of fresh asparagus on sale isn't a deal if it spoils before you can eat it.

The Bottom Line

It doesn't have to cost a fortune to do your healthy grocery shopping on a budget. Commit to buying healthy foods in place of packaged junk. Plan your grocery trip, shop from a list, make a few adjustments to your purchasing, and your bill will leave you pleasantly surprised!

Week 7 Work-out

Rules of the Road: Warm-up, stretch, go at your own pace, but push yourself and write everything down! Good luck!

Work-Out 1(Compare to week 4)

4 rounds for time of:

¼ mile run

Alternatives: If you can’t run; then just walk. If a ¼ mile is too far, lessen the distance, but write it down so you can compare this work out to future ones

60 lbs Overhead squat x15 reps: use the barbell (big bar) if possible, or dumbbells will be fine too (60 lbs would be a 30lbs dumbbell in each hand).

Alternatives: use a lesser weight or just bodyweight squats with hands in overhead position, or to make it tougher use more weight!

Work out 2(Compare to week 1)

Body-Weight Push/Pull

· Five rounds for max reps (each round go to failure on exercise)

· Push-ups and Pull ups

o Alternatives: If you can only do 2 or 3 rounds, that’s ok! Write it down and try more next time around!

§ If you can’t do push-ups do modified pushups; try one of these alternatives (progressively gets easier)

· Modified push-ups (girl push-up)

· Incline push-up (feet on ground while pushing up against a chair/bench)

· Wall pushes ( stand upright facing 2-3 feet away from wall “fall into wall” and push back to up right)

§ If you can’t do pull-ups try one of these alternatives (progressively gets easier)

· Cheater pull up (swing your feet to give momentum)

· Jump pull-up (start with feet planted on ground hands in pull up position, jump up to chin over bar and slowly lower self down)

· Chair assisted (put your feet on a chair and use you legs to help yourself up)

§ Machine lat-pull downs

Work-Out 3 (compare to week 4)

Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:

Bike 400 meters (quarter mile)

15 Push-ups

Alternatives: push-up alternatives. If you go to hard you may fatigue before the 15 minutes. However, this is designed to push as hard as you can if you need to take a breather between rounds, do so, but keep it as short as possible. Work hard, go at your own pace!

Combat the Top 5 Dieting Obstacles

A few months ago, you may have made the resolution to lose some weight. You started off feeling empowered and motivated, but as time wears on you begin to feel stuck. Don't worry, rescue is on its way! In the new book The Mayo Clinic Diet, the weight-loss experts at the Mayo Clinic identified some common dieting obstacles and ways to overcome them.

• Obstacle 1: I don't like to cook, or I don't have time to cook

  You can get recipes that are easy, quick, and healthy from many websites and cookbooks. Try out different cooking techniques, such as grilling, microwaving, steaming, and stir-frying, which are all easy ways to cook your food. Save time and hassle by buying prepackaged salad greens, frozen vegetables, or precooked lean meats. Make extra when you do cook, so you can take advantage of leftovers the next day. If you are really feeling uninspired, eating out or getting takeout is all right once in a while. Just remember to choose healthy items and practice good portion control.

• Obstacle 2: I don't like vegetables and fruit

  Not interested in vegetables or fruit? No problem! If munching on a huge bowl of salad does not appeal to you, you can boost your fruit and vegetable intake easily by adding them to your soups, casseroles, stews and stir-fries. Or, you can include fresh fruit pieces in your cereal and low-fat yogurt. If you are tired of the familiar apples, grapes, and oranges, be sure to try exotic fruits like mangoes, kiwis, and papayas next time!

• Obstacle 3: I'm not hungry in the morning so I skip breakfast

  Even if you are not hungry, try to eat a little something two mornings a week, and slowly work your way up to having breakfast every day. You can try breakfast shakes, cereal and non-fat milk, or handy foods that you can grab and go, such as bananas, apples, or low-fat yogurt in single-serving containers. If you love your cup of java in the morning, try a non-fat latte instead of drip coffee so that the milk will at least fuel your body with some protein and carbohydrate. Or if you are not a big fan of traditional breakfasts, why not try a breakfast sandwich?

• Obstacle 4: I'm a late-night snacker

  Prevention is the way to go to curb your late-night munchies. Make sure you eat three good meals during the day so you won't be hungry at night, simply don't keep unhealthy snack food around the house, and stay busy in the hours before bedtime to prevent you from wandering to the pantry. If you feel the urge to eat at night, snack on fruits, vegetable sticks, and popcorn without butter instead.

• Obstacle 5: I have a hard time not eating when I'm watching TV or in the movie theater

  You can try to fill up on a healthy meal before you sit down for the show so you feel less of an urge to eat. Sip on water or a calorie-free beverage instead of snacking, or try chewing sugarless gum to combat the munchies. If you really have to snack, munch on something low in calories such as fruits, vegetables, popcorn (no butter), or rice crackers.

The Bottom Line

With careful planning, and by being more mindful of what you are eating, you too can make great food choices and be a champion in your dieting efforts! http://www.healthcastle.com/dieting_obstacles.shtml

28 Ways to Cut Calories Effortlessly

An extra 40 calories per day may not seem like much, but consider this: If you were to cut a mere 40 calories a day from your diet, you would lose at least a pound in three months, or four pounds in a year!

Making small changes to your diet every day to help reduce your calorie intake will help offset weight gain over the year, and possibly even help you to lose weight! Try some of the ideas below to help you reduce your calorie intake. The more tips you implement, the more calories you cut from your diet!

1. Choose fruit instead of juice: A medium orange has 60 calories, while a cup of orange juice contains 110 calories. Go for the fruit instead! (Calories saved: 50)
   
   
2. Downsize your bagel: A mini bagel has only 80 calories, while a regular medium-sized bagel contains 240 calories - and an average Einstein Brothers bagel is a whopping 350 calories! (Calories saved: 160 – 270)
   
   
3. Wrap it up: Use a 110-calorie 10-inch tortilla instead of a 240-calorie medium bagel as the base for your breakfast or lunch. (Calories saved: 130)
   
   
4. Wrap scale down: Use an 8-inch tortilla instead of a 10-inch one. (Calories saved: 50)
   
   
5. Choose light cream cheese: One ounce (2 tablespoons) of light cream cheese contains 60 calories, while regular has 100 calories. (Calories saved: 40)
   
   
6. Go Canadian: Have Canadian bacon at 90 calories for two slices instead of regular bacon at 250 calories for two slices. (Calories saved: 160)
   
   
7. Add the real thing to your yogurt: One cup of fruit flavored low fat yogurt contains 230 calories. Instead, consider having one cup of low fat plain yogurt with 1/2 cup of fresh fruit for only 180 calories plus extra fiber! (Calories saved: 50)
   
   
8. Make the mayo light: Lightening up your mayonnaise saves you 50 calories per tablespoon. (Calories saved: 50)
   
   
9. Spray it: Spraying your non-stick pan with a cooking spray costs 6 calories while using a tablespoon of butter or margarine cuts into your daily calorie budget by 100 calories. (Calories saved: 94)
   
   
10. Lighten up on butter and margarine: Regular butter or margarine contains 100 calories per tablespoon, but light butter or margarine has only 50. (Calories saved: 50)
    
    
11. Season up: Using herbs to season your vegetables instead of butter or margarine will save you 100 calories per tablespoon. (Calories saved: 100)
    
    
12. Creamy options: Trading the Ben & Jerry's or Haagen-Dazs super-rich (20% fat) ice cream for a Breyer's or Hood light reduced fat (6% fat) version saves 130 calories per 1/2 cup. (Calories saved: 130)
    
    
13. Cone down: Choosing a small waffle cone rather than a large will save you 40 calories. Eliminating the cone altogether will save you 60 calories for a small one, 100 calories for a large. (Calories saved: 40 – 100)
    
    
14. Choose fish in water: A 6oz can of chunk light tuna stored in oil has 275 calories. Packed in water, it has only 150 calories. (Calories saved: 125)
    
    
15. Lower the fat in your cottage cheese: Use 1% cottage cheese rather than 4%. (Calories saved: 40 per half cup)
    
    
16. Starching down: Try cutting back on your portion of rice, pasta or noodles by just 1/4 cup. (Calories saved: 45 – 60)
    
    
17. Lightening your coffee: Use 2 tablespoons of whole milk rather than 2 Tbsp half and half cream. (Calories saved: 20)
    
    
18. Make baking healthier: Replace half of the fat in a recipe with applesauce. Per 1/2 cup, applesauce contains 90 calories, but butter or margarine contains a whopping 810 calories! (Calories saved: 720 calories per 1/2 cup!)
    
    
19. Soda shocker: By drinking an 8 oz mini can of regular soda rather than the usual 12 oz size, you save 50 calories. Better yet, drink water or diet soda to save 150 calories for a 12 oz can. (Calories saved: 50 – 150)
    
    
20. The chips are down: Try a bag of baked chips instead of regular chips. (Calories saved: 70 per 2 oz bag)
    
    
21. Go fresh: Choose a 60-calorie 1/2 cup of fresh fruit instead of a 250-calorie 1/2 cup of dried fruits like raisins. (Calories saved: 190)
    
    
22. Vary your chocolate options: Instead of a 1.5 oz chocolate bar at 225 calories, consider having a cup of chocolate milk (160 calories) or a fat free chocolate pudding (85 calories). (Calories saved: 65 - 140)
    
    
23. Ah nuts: Measure out your nuts - they add up quickly! One ounce of nuts (about 23 almonds, 18 medium cashews, 18-22 mixed nuts, 15-20 walnut or pecan halves) are worth 100 - 200 calories. It is easy to eat more than this if you are not paying attention and measuring... (Calories saved: Lots!)
    
    
24. Cheers: Drink light beer rather than regular. (Calories saved: 30 per 12 oz can)
    
    
25. Wine Not?: Drink 4 oz of wine instead of 12 oz of beer. (Calories saved: 50)
    
    
26. Go lite on syrup: Two tablespoons of regular syrup contains 110 calories, but lite syrup contains only 50 calories. (Calories saved: 60)
    
    
27. Cut the juice: Have 1/2 cup of orange juice instead of a full cup. (Calories saved: 55)
    
    
28. Leaving behind: Why not leave 3-4 bites on your plate? You don't have to finish it all if you are full. (Calories saved: Varies)

The Bottom Line

Although you may not implement all of the above ideas, it is worthwhile trying to use at least one tip each day to help prevent a progressive, subtle weight gain over the years. By making simple alterations such as the ones mentioned above in your daily diet, you will not feel deprived while working to reduce your calorie intake. http://www.healthcastle.com/cut_calories2.shtml

Week 6 Work-out

Rules of the Road: Warm-up, stretch, go at your own pace, but push yourself and write everything down! Good luck!

Work out 1 (Compare to week 2)

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) Work Out

· Bike, Treadmill/track, Elliptical

· Active Phase: 30 seconds go as hard as you can (increase resistance and/or speed)

· Recovery Phase: 90 seconds active rest (keep moving)

· 20 minutes total time (Active + Recovery)

· Alternatives: shorter (eg. 15 seconds) active phase, or longer recovery, or to challenge you more shorter recovery and/or longer active phases

Work out 2 (Compare to week 1)

Machine Circuit:

· For time (go as fast as you safely can, with good form) 4 rounds around the weight machine

· Hit the bench press, shoulder press, leg press, lat pull down

· 15 reps each exercise

· At the end of 4 rounds if finished before 30 minutes (you should) do some easy cardio (walk on treadmill/elliptical)

o Alternatives: Try to do the 4 rounds (if you can’t, that’s ok!), pick a weight that you can do 15 of, the last 2-3 reps should be a struggle, not too easy and not to failure. Go up or down in weight if you find too easy on next round

Work out 3 (Compare to week 3)

The Mile

· Run or walk 1 mile as quickly as you are able

o I recommend uses the track upstairs, it is more fun than a treadmill

o 13 laps equals 1 mile on the track

Go at your own pace, but push yourself; we will be coming back to this one to see how you compare.

Week 5 Work-out

Rules of the Road: Warm-up, stretch, go at your own pace, but push yourself and write everything down! Good luck!

Work out 1 (compare to week 1)

Incline treadmill:

· Set treadmill at a comfortable walking pace (3-4mph)

· Every minute increase the incline 1%, go all the way up (15%) and all the way down if you can. Total of 30 minutes.

Alternatives: walk at a slower pace, go up on incline every 2 or 3 minutes instead, or go for a shorter time.

Work out 2 (compare to week 2)

Push/Pull:

· For time (go as fast as you safely can, with good form) 3 rounds of “Thrusters” and Lat Pull Downs (wide bar)

o Round 1- 21 Reps Round 2- 15 Reps Round 3- 9 reps

· Thrusters: Start in the squat position with dumbbell at should height as you stand up, extend arms over head until your arms are straight above you (go further higher than last picture shown). If you can, increase weight each round. Pick a weight where you struggle on the last few reps of each round.

·

Alternatvies: Decrease reps each round do (eg, 15-12-9), If you want to challenge yourself do Pull-ups(assisted or unassisted) instead of lat pull down

Work out 3 (compare to week 3)

10-2 Deadlifts:

· Do 10 sets of 2 reps, resting 60-90 seconds in-between.

o 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2

o Go a little heavier here than normal because you are only doing 2 reps each time, but I cannot stress enough; good form and posture are more important than the amount of weight you lift.

§ If you are new to Deadlifts use a lighter weight and maintain good form.

§ Use the barbell (the big bar) if you can, if not use dumbbells.

Start with feet slight wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your chest and head up to keep your back flat (do not arch/round/hunch your back), shoulders back (pinch shoulder blades together), start from the squatting position and stand straight up.

Don’t be afraid of the deadlift, it is probably one of the best, but most underrated lifts to increase strength and muscle tone. It is a full body exercise that works not only the legs but back, forearms, abdominals.

Week 4 work-out

Rules of the Road: Warm-up, stretch, go at your own pace, but push yourself and write everything down! Good luck!

Work-Out 1

4 rounds for time of:

¼ mile run

Alternatives: If you can’t run; then just walk. If a ¼ mile is too far, lessen the distance, but write it down so you can compare this work out to future ones

60 lbs Overhead squat x15 reps: use the barbell (big bar) if possible, or dumbbells will be fine too (60 lbs would be a 30lbs dumbbell in each hand).

Alternatives: use a lesser weight or just bodyweight squats with hands in overhead position, or to make it tougher use more weight!

Work-Out 2

3 Rounds for time of:

¼ mile run

Alternatives: If you can’t run; then just walk. If a ¼ mile is too far, lessen the distance, but write it down so you can compare this work out to future ones

Dumbbell swing x15 reps (25 lbs recommended): swing dumbbell in one fluid action from starting position to overhead

Alternatives: use more or less weight depending on your strength level

Push-ups x15 reps

Alternatives: previously listed push-up alternatives (modified, incline, wall pushes, etc)

Work-Out 3

Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:

Bike 400 meters (quarter mile)

15 Push-ups

Alternatives: push-up alternatives. If you go to hard you may fatigue before the 15 minutes. However, this is designed to push as hard as you can if you need to take a breather between rounds, do so, but keep it as short as possible. Work hard, go at your own pace!

Top Four Reasons Diets Fail

Written by Beth Sumrell Ehrensberger, MPH, RD of HealthCastle.com
Published in December 2007

What are your plans for January? Perhaps you will spend the month putting away holiday decorations and easing back into a regular schedule. And, if you're like millions of people, your plans may include embarking on a new diet.

Not surprisingly, a 2005 study conducted by a popular weight loss franchise announced that just under half of US women admit that losing weight is a likely New Year's resolution. With the holiday cakes and pies already devoured and out of sight, many people find the fresh start of a new year the perfect time to embark on a weight loss plan.

Unfortunately, unrealistic diet expectations can sabotage the very best intentions, leading to frustration when diets fail. If your January plans include a change in eating habits, check out our top takes on why diets fail, then use the suggested tips to choose a diet that will lead you to success.

Top 4 Reasons Diets Fail

1. Something's Missing
   Diets eliminating an entire food group (such as carbohydrates) and not using the full spectrum of My Pyramid are difficult to follow, and will likely lead to a slip. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, "Can I eat like this forever?" A successful diet should allow choices from all food groups in moderation, and be something that you can follow for the long term.
   
   
2. Going Low
   If you eat too few calories and are constantly hungry, you risk an eventual willpower blowout, leading to a major diet setback. Successful diets are adequate enough in calories so you don't experience prolonged deep hunger, but low enough to allow for a moderate weight loss of 0.5-1 lb per week. Looking beyond weight loss, it's also important to understand that consuming less than 1,200 calories per day for an extended period of time is never a good idea because it isn't enough to give your body the nutrients it needs to function best.
   
   
3. Diet. Period.
   If you've embarked on a weight loss regime, but have no plans to incorporate exercise, your weight loss will most likely hit a frustrating plateau. Adding exercise can keep you motivated to stick to your diet, even on the weeks when the scale won't budge, since exercise can help you whittle off the inches. Regular exercise also increases the rate at which your body burns calories, helping you to see results faster than diet alone. Multiple research studies have concluded that the most successful diets include a combination of diet and exercise.
   
   
4. Friend or Foe?
   A 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that those who surround themselves with overweight or obese family and friends are more likely to be overweight or obese themselves. The study found that a possible explanation for the conclusions may be that your sense of "normal" weight and eating behavior can be influenced by those around you. For example, if everyone close to you is overweight or obese, your opinion may be that being overweight or obese is normal, thus you may not be motivated to lose weight. For the best success, surround yourself with family and friends sensitive to your goal, and make a personal commitment to follow through on your plans. If you have overweight family or friends, why not make a group resolution to work together for better health?
   

The Bottom Line

Dieters with long term successes are proof that the best plans include adequate choices from a wide variety of foods, are flexible and reasonable, and partner with exercise and support from peers. A diet that encourages weight loss slowly over time will help you form better habits to make your diet the beginning of a lifetime of healthy eating! http://www.healthcastle.com/diet_fail_resolutions.shtml